Shadows
by my temporary infinity
Summary: Nico di Angelo. Who is he truly? What are the secrets that lurk behind his pale and gaunt complexion? To the world Nico is a mere shadow, but what is a shadow? And why is he forced to live like one? Is there any hope for this poor son of Hades, who has suffered so much and enjoyed so little? Rated T because I'm paranoid. Oneshot. Complete.


**Hi. This is just a one shot about Nico di Angelo. SPOILERS FROM THE HOUSE OF HADES! **

**Disclaimer: shockingly enough, I'm not Rick Riordan.**

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><p>Darkness. That was all he saw, thought, felt, and heard. It was all he was, that's what everyone thought of Nico di Angelo was; a shadow. Including himself, until he was imprisoned in Tartarus, Hell itself, did the true colours of darkness dawn on him.<p>

As the poor son of Hades was tormented physically, mentally, and emotionally to the point where he welcomed death with open arms. Did the moment of truth come after so many years of living in the shadows.

They were right, Nico was a shadow. However, they were delusional. They didn't know what darkness is. They assume it sucks the light out of the air, it consumes it. Nico remembered when Piper was discussing Clytius and how light it sucked into its cloud of darkness. Leo 'wittily' replied;

"Sounds like Nico, you think they're related?"

Leo didn't notice Nico, light doesn't see darkness unless it's shoved up its nose.

Leo was so wrong.

Nico was darkness. Darkness is a slave to light, it must perish when light comes. It hides in the corner, unable in penetrate the light. Everyone's terrified of darkness because it's not obvious. You can't see it and simply turning on a light doesn't help. It banishes the dark, thus ending your search. No, you must go into the darkness, no light and no vision. It's terribly hard, that's why no one befriends him, they're scared because they think he's the master when in reality he is the slave.

As Nico was bound in shackles, gagged, and blindfolded in Tartarus itself. Having such inhuman and painful tortures practiced on him did he realize this not darkness. This a monster. It's a vacuum. It's a black hole. It stole all the precious light Nico longed for. How humiliating, a son of Hades desperately wanting light. But maybe it was for the best, maybe seeing it would increase the pain.

So from that unwanted trip, Nico's souvenir was a fear, a fear of consuming darkness.

Nico wanted people to know he was a shadow, but he didn't consume light, he belonged to it. And maybe then he would have friends. But he _couldn't _because he wasn't normal. He had a pathetic secret that was hidden in the darkness, so there he must stay.

The truth was horrid. Oh, if the others knew... Leo would never stop teasing him. Piper would spread the word like greek fire. Frank wouldn't say anything, but he would judge, just like the rest of them. Hazel, Nico liked to believe she would accept him, but she was raised back in she was raised back in the 1940s just as he had been. When the very thought of liking the same gender was sickening. She would not accept him, though she would most certainly deny it. Annabeth would find it fascinating, like an interesting chemistry experiment. The only homosexual demigod! Why not stamp it on his forehead. Percy knowing- that thought was unbearable. And Jason.

Jason. The demigod disliked the most- no, that's not true. Leo took the prize in that. But Nico did despise him. He knew very well Jason was willing to leave him to suffocate to death in a bronze jar. No one dared tell Nico, but it wasn't necessary. The Argo II was the place Nico visited while in the death trance. Silently pleading Percy to save him.

But it had to be Jason with him when Cupid forced him to confess. Jason knew, Jason saw right through the darkness. But he didn't go searching, Cupid had done it for him. Despite the fact Nico would never admit it, he was terrified of of Cupid, he drove people mad by love. Nico was not mad yet, but he'd suffered greatly. Cupid was the reason Nico has never experience love. Cupid was the reason Nico is gay. Cupid was the reason Nico fell in love with Percy Jackson. It was enough to scare anyone and after being hit with Cupids arrow, he had no choice. The truth about Nico was told and it came from his own lips.

Then, Jason tried to befriend him. But not because he wanted to be friends with the son of Hades, but because he pitied him, treated him like a charity cause. He didn't know a thing about Nico, all he knew was Nico loved Percy. It was love, not a simple crush or a misunderstanding. Love.

Jason was light, he was the sun. He was everyones hero, he was generous, he gave light while Nico was darkness, supposedly the villain who gave darkness and banished light.

That's what it always came down to, wasn't it? The fact that Nico was a shadow. The simple illusion that darkness is evil. It was that lie's fault that Nico has no friends, suffers so much, and is living a hopeless one sided crush.

Maybe Nico's never had a true friend who likes him for who he is. Maybe he has suffered more than any other demigod that ever existed. Maybe he's never been loved.

But, that does not mean this is his future. He just needs one person to go into the darkness, see through it. Go on the blind quest. Discover the truth about the dark and realize who Nico di Angelo truly is. Just one. Just one that will accept him and love him. And maybe. Just maybe. It will be a certain son of Poseidon.

Maybe he'll see who Nico is.

A boy who lives like a shadow.

Who wants to have friends.

Who wants to love.

Who wants to _be _loved.

Who wants to belong.

Who wants to come out if the shadows.

And, in reality, is that too much to ask?

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><p><strong>There it is. My opinion of Nico di Angelo. I'm going to write more fanfictions for Nico, this is just the start of many. I'd appreciate it if you review, but please be honest. Flame me if you despised it. What did I do well? What did I do terribly? Tell me who you think Nico di Angelo truly is, is this the turth about Nico di Angelo?<strong>

**Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed it.**


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